Trailer coupling stabilizer



Sept. 26, 1950 L. L. STEPHENS TRAILER COUPLING STABILIZER Filed March 25, 1949 Fig. /.4 /2 46 32 Ilvl24`\ :migo 'I IV l] I); V i, l ,Urj mi,

32 WWW Patented Sept. 26|, 1'95 UNITED STATES PATENT YOFFICE TRAILER COUPLING STABILIZER Leo L. Stephens, Hawkins, Tex.

Application March 23, 1949, Serial No. 83,088

relation toits pivotal connection, and means carv ried by an adjacent draft tongue for engaging the springs and regulating the pressure exerted by said springs on the draft tongue with which they are in contact.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a top plan View of a pair of connected draft tongues illustrating this improved stabilizer in use thereon,

Figure 2 is a side view in elevation of the connected draft tongues illustrated in Figure l,

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 3--3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 vis a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 4 4 of Figure 2, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the draft tongues.

vReferring to the drawings in detail, the draft tongue I 0 carries at one end a pair of spaced parallel longitudinally extending ears I2 which are pierced with aligning openings I4 for the reception of a suitable pivot bolt I6. Encircling the pivot bolt I6 between the ears I2 is a bearing sleeve I8, and the pivot bolt is provided with a longitudinally extending axial bore `which opens through one end thereof and is equipped with a conventional grease tting 22 of the type through which grease may be introduced into the bore. Opening radially through the pivot pin I6 intermediate its ends and communicating with the bore 20 are Aradial bores 24 by means of which lubricant admitted to the bore 20 will be distrib uted on the surface of the pivot pin I B with which the sleeve I 8 contacts. Welded or otherwise attached to the ears I2 in spaced relation to the pivot abolt i6 are perpendicular studs 26 which extend beyond opposite side edges ofthe ears I2 and are provided adjacent opposite ends with screw threads 28 on which nuts 36 are threaded. A second draft tongue 32 is provided adjacent one end with a transverse opening 34 for the reception of the sleeve i8 previously referred to tively, and the axes of these cups lie in'aplanev which` intersects the axes of the studs 2.6 pref viously'referred to. Seated in the cup 34 vis .a compression. coil spring 33' and asimilar compression.

coil spring 46. is seated in the. cup 36. A spring receiving cup 42 engages the end of the spring 382 remote from the cup 34 and a similar spring receiving cup 44 engages the end .of the Yspring 4,05 remoteefrornthe cup 33. Extending laterally from. the cup 4 2 in diainetrically opposed relation are supporting ears 46o/nich are pierced as at .43. 4to receive the upper ends of the studs 26, and similar ears 56 are carried by the cup 44, and like the ears 46 are pierced with openings 52 for the reception of the lower ends of the studs 26. It Will thus be seen that with the cups 42 and 44 seated on their respective ends of the studs 26, with the nuts bearing on the ears 46 and 5U respectively, y

the cups 42 and 44 may be advanced toward the tongue 32 by turning the nuts 36 in order to regulate the pressure of the springs 38 and 4D on the 4 tongue 32. Inasmuch as the axis of the springs 38 and 46 is offset with relation to the axis of the pivot pin I6, it will be evident that the tongues I0 and 32 may be yieldingly held in substantial longitudinal alignment. Obviously if so desiredthe pressure on the springs 38 or 40 may be varied by turning the nuts 30 on their respective ends of the studs 26, so that the tongue 32 may be held under the effort of the springs in angular relation to the tongue Il] should such a relationship be desired.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that one tongue may move against the yielding pressure exerted by one or the other of the springs as changing road conditions may require.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changes in thedetails of construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a trailer coupling, a draft tongue, a pair of spaced parallel ears on the draft tongue, said ears extending longitudinally from one end of said draft tongue, a second draft tongue entering the space between the ears and being pivotally connected to said ears for movement in a vertical arc, stabilizing means yieldingly to hold thedraft tongues in longitudinal alignment, said stabilizing means comprising opposed springs bearing on opposite sides of the second mentioned draft tongue in spaced relation to the pivotal connection, studs carried by the ears, the axes of the studs lying perpendicular to the ears and in a plane which intersects the axis of the springs, and means adjustably mounted on the studs and lying across the springs to engage the ends thereof remote from the second mentioned draft tongue and hold said springs in contact with said draft tongue.

2. In a trailer coupling, a draft tongue, a pair of spaced parallel ears on the draft tongue, said ears extending longitudinally from one end of said draft tongue, a second draft tongue entering the space between the ears and being pivotally connected to said ears for movement in a vertical arc, stabilizing means yieldingly to hold the draft tongues in longitudinal alignment, said stabilizing means comprising opposed springs bearing on opposite sides of the second mentioned draft tongue in spaced relation to the pivotal connection, studs carried by the ears, the

axes of the studs lying perpendicular to the ears and in a plane which intersects the axis of the springs, spring receiving cups adjustably mounted on the studs adjacent the ends thereof remote from the ears, said cups receiving the ends of the springs remote from the second mentioned draft tongue and nuts threaded on the studs to engage the cups and advance them toward the second mentioned draft tongue to regulate the pressure of the springs thereon.

3. In a trailer coupling, a draft tongue, a pair of spaced parallel ears on the draft tongue, said ears extending longitudinally from one end of said draft tongue, a second draft tongue entering the space .between the ears and being pivotally connected to said ears for movement in a vertical arc, stabilizing means yieldingly to hold the draft tongues in longitudinal alignment, said stabilizing means comprising opposed springs bearing on opposite sides of the second'mentioned draft tongue in spaced relation to the pivotal connection, studs carried by the ears, the axes of the studs lying perpendicular to the ears and in a plane which intersects the axis of the springs, spring receiving cups having integral transversely extending apertured ears slidably mounted on the studs adjacent the ends thereof remote from the ears, said cups receiving the ends of the springs remote from the second mentioned draft tongue, and nuts threaded on the studs to engage the apertured ears and to advance them toward the second mentioned draft tongue to regulate the Pressure of the springs.

LEO L. STEPHENS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 671,698 Hennessey Apr. 9, 1901 1,908,711 Kuchar May 16,' 1933 

